In a day and age of fully automated conventional and digital cameras, one wonders why one would return to the older, more cumbersome box/bellows style of a large format camera. Without question, the ultra-fast cameras of today will out perform an older view camera in most respects. One reason still stands: When enlarged, the quality of larger format films are clearly superior to that of 35mm images.

Large format is normally defined as a camera which uses film in sizes 4”x 5” and larger. 4x5 film is 16 times the area of 35mm film. While not very important in small prints or even newspaper and magazine reproduction, the difference becomes evident in large photographic prints. Even the finest grain small films can only enlarge so far before details become fuzzy and obscure.

The time will come soon when “digital camera backs” will replace even large format film. At present they need to attach to a computer with lots of memory and a battery pack. For now digital printing from scanned originals is emerging as a replacement for older darkroom techniques. Quality scans are made on high-density drum and drum-like scanners to make digital files of 150-300 megabytes. We are in a transition as digital methods of printing provide greater sharpness, more accurate color, and increase the archival display life of the photograph. At present Erskine is in the process of converting and archiving his collection to digital files using an Imacon Flextight Precicion III scanner. Each image requires several hours of inspection and retouch after scanning so the process will be ongoing.

Besides larger film size, a good view camera allows the lens board and film back to be adjusted to increase depth-of-field and correct perspective for additional image quality. These swings, tilts, and shifts vary between view cameras with the “monorail” design allowing extreme flexibility; next, the “field” camera having most major adjustments, and last the “press” camera with almost no special adjustment.

Erskine uses a Linhof (4"x 5" film) field camera that is compact when folded, yet allows all the adjustments needed for landscape photography. His second camera, a Fuji GX 680III has all the adjustment features of a field camera while using medium (6x8cm) format film.

There are many limitations to working with large format cameras. The weight of camera, lenses, film holders, and tripod in our backpacks is about 50 pounds. Viewing and composing is done on the ground glass (the image is upside down and backwards) under a dark cloth. Although it is possible with some view cameras to hand hold, a tripod and cable release are far more practical. The tripod also allows small apertures to f/64 with very slow shutter speeds: 1/4th to 2 sec. is common. The last inconvenience is perhaps film cost and availability. What few color films are available are usually “professional” films and recommend refrigeration and processing within a few days of exposure. The cost of a processed sheet of 4 x 5 color film is about $5.00 making the most ardent shutterbug a conservative.

Many professionals use the medium format (2 1/4” roll film) as a compromise of cost, convenience, and flexibility for the bulk of their work, but when excellence is demanded, the large format view camera is called upon for its unique advantages.